With WWE’s biggest show of the year just around the corner, the sports entertainment giant is undergoing some pretty big creative changes.
The folks over at Bodyslam were the first to report on Thursday after that the Road Dogg, Brian James, is out as co-lead writer of Friday Night SmackDown and has departed the company.
Mike Johnson of PWInsider has since corroborated BodySlam’s report and added that it was Road Dogg who made the decision to leave the company. No specific reasoning for his decision was given.
The WWE Hall of Famer had been with the company in a creative capacity since 2014, aside from seven months away in 2022, and worked in a variety of roles backstage before being named co-lead writer for the Blue Brand last year.
Road Dogg’s appointment to the positions garnered a significant amount of criticism from fans online, however, the recently retired AJ Styles went public in his defense and called on people to give him a chance. The former tag team champion had previously held the same position in the run-up to WrestleMania 35 back in 2019.
James was also heavily featured in season two of WWE Unreal on Netflix, where fans were given a behind-the-scenes look into creative meetings as Road Dogg made pitches for the likes of R-Truth and Chelsea Green.
WWE has appointed a new lead writer for Monday Night Raw
WWE Raw | WWE.com
Speaking of WWE on Netflix, there’s also been a recent development regarding the creative team over on Monday Night Raw.
Alexandra Williams announced on her LinkedIn profile that she has been promoted to vice president and lead writer for the Red Brand moving forward. She had been working as a senior writer and producer for the company. Williams’ updated profile noted that she now “oversees all creative development” for WWE Raw.
“As VP and Lead Writer for WWE’s flagship live program, I oversee all creative development for Monday Night RAW — one of television’s longest-running and highest-rated weekly shows. I pitch to and collaborate with executive leadership and a cross-functional writing team to conceptualize and execute week-to-week storylines, character arcs, and premium live event buildups, including WrestleMania and Survivor Series.”
These major changes come with WrestleMania 42 a little over six weeks away. This year’s ‘Showcase of the Immortals’ has reportedly undergone numerous changes over the past couple of months amid lower-than-anticipated ticket sales.
Reports from earlier in the day on Thursday, however, have indicated that the company is closing in on a 14-16 match card, with a potentially record-breaking amount of women’s bouts taking place during WrestleMania weekend.
We’ll provide an update on Road Dogg’s sudden departure from WWE, just as soon as an update becomes available.
